file: /pub/resources/text/ProLife.News/1993: PLN-0307.TXT
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Life Communications - Volume 3, No. 7 March, 1993
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This Pro-Life Newsletter is intended to provide articles and news information
to those interested in Pro-Life Issues. All submissions should be sent to the
editor, Steve (frezza@ee.pitt.edu).
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1) FOCA FACES COMMITTEE VOTE
The Senate's Labor and Human Resources Committee is planning to vote on FOCA
(Freedom of Choice (Also known as the Mandatory Abortion on Demand) Act. You
may want to lobby the Senators from your state (if any) that are in the
Committee to vote against it. A list follows; look for their phone numbers in
the Federal government listing in the phone book.
Jeff Bingaman D-NM Dan Coats R-IN
Christopher Dodd D-CT Dave Duremberger R-MN
Judd Gregg R-NH Tom Harkin D-IA
Orrin Hatch R-UT James Jeffords R-VT
Nancy Kassebaun R-KS Edward Kennedy D-MA (Chair)
Howard Metzembaum D-OH Barbara Mikulski D-MD
Clairborn Pell D-RI Paul Simon D-IL
Strom Thurmond R-SC Paul Wellstone D-MN
Harris Wofford D-PA
Note that both of Minnesota's senators are in the committee. There is also a
FOCA Hotline of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, (800) 847-2727.
This will get you on a list of people to help educate people concerning FOCA in
your area.
- Nelson Caro
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2) NOTES ON RU486 - MARCH 1993
With President Clinton taking office there has been renewed pressure for
approving the abortion pill in the U.S. In fact, two days after taking office,
he told the Secretary of Health and Human Services to "promote the testing,
licensing and manufacturing" of the abortion pill in the U.S. (1) The FDA began
applying pressure on Roussel-Uclaf, the French manufacturer of the pill, to
apply for its approval here.[2] It appears that Roussel-Uclaf is giving in to
the pressure and will permit clinical trials in the U.S. in the next few
months.[3]
You can write Roussel-Uclaf as follows[4]:
Edward Sakiz, CEO
Roussel-Uclaf SA
35 Boulevard des Invalides
75007 Paris, France
The most effective approach is probably to express appreciation for its
reluctance to expand the availability of RU486 (it has agree to distribute the
pill in only three countries - France, Britain. and Sweden - and only under
official pressure[1] ). Then urge them to continue resisting the pressure from
the U.S. You might point out that one of the conditions it has been operating
under for introducing the pill into a country (that there be a public consensus
that pregnancy termination is tolerated by society) is not met in the U.S.
It appears not generally known that Roussel-Uclaf has a German parent company.
Hoechst AG owns 54% of Roussel-Uclaf[4]. It is this control that has kept
RU-486 from being more widely available. Hoechst's chairman has written: "It is
my conviction that Hoechst should not market RU-486. Commercialization of a
drug facilitating - and easing - abortion is against Hoechst's corporate
credo."[1] Hoechst did not know of the drug until Roussel-Uclaf applied to
license it in France. It then had Roussel-Uclaf withdraw the application.
However, the French government ordered Roussel-Uclaf to market the drug
anyway.[1] You can express appreciation to Hoechst for its opposition and
encourage it to continue opposing the marketing of the drug by writing[4]:
Dr. Wolfgang Hilger, Chairman
Hoechst AG
Postfach 80 03 20
D-6230
Frankfurt am Main 80, Germany
[1] Wall Street Journal 2/22/93 [2] Wall Street Journal 2/26/93
[3] Wall Street Journal 3/16/93 [4] Moody's International Manual
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3) ACROSS THE POND - POLAND
Thursday, March 11th's NYT, p.3 stated: "The new law limiting access to
abortion...permits abortions in cases in which the pregnancy threatens the life
or 'seriously threatens' the health of the mother, there is 'serious and
irreversible malformation of the fetus,' or the pregnancy results from
'criminal' action like rape or incest. Those provisions are threaded with
restrictions to make sure that they are not loosely applied."
- Chris Newburn
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4) NEW FFL CHAPTER IN BUFFALO NY
A new group of Feminists for Life was launched in Buffalo, NY, on March 8th
(International Women's Day). Our first action was to donate three copies of
_Different Voices: Pro-Life Feminism_, edited by Gail Grenier Sweet, to the
Buffalo and Erie County Public Library; more copies are planned in future, as
funds permit. We also took out an ad containing a feminist statement against
abortion in a local paper. The blizzard interfered with our plans to
participate in the International Women's Day events on March 13th, which dealt
with women's health.
- Anne-Marie Kinsley, coordinator
V070Q5UG@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu
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5) A NYT EDITORIAL SUBMISSION:
To the Editor: [Submitted to the NYT March 14, 1993]
As a pacifist and a pro-lifer, I am saddened by the murder of Dr. Gunn. It
marks a loss of innocence for our movement for peace and justice.
However, I am not surprised. Given the violence against non-violent pro-life
demonstrators by the police (Los Angeles police were brutalizing pro-life
demonstrators before the Rodney King incident, for instance) and unjust prison
sentences (for instance, jailing protestors for praying in front of an abortion
clinic in Cincinnati), it was only a matter of time before someone decided that
if he would be punished as a violent criminal for non-violent civil
disobedience, he might as well be violent. Just as the lynchings of
abolitionists produced John Brown, injustice to pro-lifers produced Michael
Griffin.
The "ideological certainties" decried by Anthony Lewis (OP-ED, March 12, 1993)
as inimical to democracy are of the same force as those possessed by
abolitionists, civil rights protestors, and anti-war activists during the
Vietnam War. All these movements had violent and non-violent wings. Violence
against the non-violent by authorities was largely responsible for creating the
violent wings.
"If you want peace, work for justice," which would begin by treating
non-violent pro-life demonstrators (by far the majority) like any other
non-violent practitioners of civil disobedience.
Sincerely yours, Daniel Lieuwen
New Providence, NJ
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6) READER RESPONSES
Re: v3n6 Editorial
"No woman wants an abortion as she wants an ice cream cone
or a Porsche. She wants an abortion as an animal caught
in a trap wants to gnaw off its own leg."
Dean's editorial disagrees with this statement. I used to work as a counselor
in a crisis pregnancy center (one of the older ones!). I would say that the
first sentence is certainly true. No woman wants an abortion like an ice cream
cone, etc. There are a few women who want an abortion for an amazingly trivial
reason (eg. to keep her figure). Most actually do feel trapped into it. Of
course, most I talked to were not repeaters though some were.
At the same time, I do believe that women need to take more responsibility
*before* they get pregnant...
- Liz Allen
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7) READER QUESTIONS
On an OR Tactic: I was talking to some pro-choice friends [March 15th]. Anyway,
my friends said that Operation Rescue in some states is writing down license
tag numbers of women going in for abortions and then calling their homes to
tell their parents or whoever else is there that the woman had an abortion. My
friends thought this was awful -- saying it caused some women to commit suicide
and the like. This tactic doesn't sound like a good one, but I'd first like to
know if this is true... What's the real story?
- Liz Allen
One Response:
I have participated in several Rescues and what I can tell you is that this
tactic, as far as I know, has NEVER been used against one of the victims- i.e.
the woman. Rather, it has been used against the doctor. The tag number of the
doctor is used to identify where he lives or other places of work besides the
abortion clinic. Activists may then picket his place of work, or outside his
home in order to let others know that "this doctor profits from abortion."
This is done to call attention to the abortion profiteer in hopes that they
will not victimize more women and kill more children without the public knowing
about it; after all, they like to keep their work secret. You would be
surprised how many people object to dealing with abortionists.
At every single Rescue I have been to we have been instructed to leave the
woman alone. Special counselors are trained to offer concrete help; financial,
emotional, spiritual help to the woman. These counselors are exclusively women
themselves. In two instances that I have seen, these women have had abortions
themselves.
As for the woman, I beg you, let your friends know- OR does everything humanly
possible to show compassion towards the woman. We are instructed that every
action, in word and deed, shows patience and kindness toward the woman in this
terribly difficult situation. She is a victim; scared confused and usually
under tremendous pressure by parents, friends and "lover's" to abort. OR has
raised money for these women, babysat, purchased food, diapers, cribs, etc..
People who Rescue give up a lot to be there, to be mocked, harassed, arrested,
misrepresented by the press, and misunderstood by other pro-lifers.
Most of my Rescue experience came when I quit an engineering job to spend a
year volunteering in a shelter for runaway pregnant teens (NYC), and was
involved in Rescue. I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but rather to point out
that like what I did in volunteering for a year, there are many good pro-life
people who are willing to give of themselves to prevent more women from
becoming victims of abortion.
- Karl Dresen
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Quote of the Month:
"The issue of protecting unborn human life is the defining
issue of our generation...[The abortion issue] is very much
like the slavery issue was in 1860. It is an issue that tests
our basic value systems...Without life, all other civil
rights are meaningless and irrelevant."
- Robert Casey(D) Governor of Pennsylvania
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| Credits: |
| 2 - This article is Copyright (c)1993 by Tidings, Box 4632 SFA Sta., |
| Nacogdoches, TX 75962. Permission is granted to reprint or repost |
| this sheet provided it is done in its entirety. Many thanks to reader |
| Reynolds Griffith. |
|QOM- From the Feb. 1993 Newsletter of Pennsylvanians fo Human Life, Wyoming |
| Valley Chapter, 201 South Main St. Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 Many thanks |
| to reader Andy Sicree. |
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Anyone desiring information on specific prolife groups, literature, tapes, or
help with problems is encouraged to contact the editor.